PEAK PERFORMANCE:：Perng is joined this year by the central bank chiefs of the Philippines and Malaysia in an annual rating by ‘Global Finance’

By Amy Su / Staff reporter

Sat, Aug 24, 2013 - Page 13

It was also the 10th “A” rating he has received since 1998, the New York-based magazine said in a press release on Thursday.

In its annual report, “Central Banker Report Cards 2013,” Global Finance named Perng and two of his Asian peers as the world’s best central bank heads over the past year.

Of the magazine’s annual survey of central banks of more than 50 countries and the European Central Bank, Perng is by far the only central banker to have won an “A” rating 10 times — one in 2000 and nine straight years from 2005 to this year.

Asked to comment on the report, Perng yesterday said the honor was not his alone.

“This honor belongs to all Taiwanese and all staff in the central bank,” he told reporters via a central bank public relations official.

The two other central bankers who received the same score as Perng were Bank Negara Malaysia Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Amando Tetangco Jr of the Philippines.

US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke received a “B+,” up from last year’s “B,” and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi was given an “A-” during his second year in office.

People’s Bank of China Governor Zhou Xiaochuan (周小川) received a “C” rating this year, down from the “B-” he received last year, while Bank of Korea Governor Kim Choong-soo received a “B+” this year, improving from a “C” rating last year.

Global Finance grades the performance of central bankers on a scale from “A” (excellent) to “F” (fail) in several areas, including inflation control, currency stability and interest rate management.

Bank officials’ ability to achieve economic growth targets, confront political interference and maintain policy transparency are also factored into the score.